Moehler's complete game leads Astros past Pirates

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Brian Moehler was walking down the dugout steps
after the eighth inning when he turned and told Astros manager
Cecil Cooper to not even think about taking him out.

Cooper wavered, but gave in. After all, it's not often a pitcher
lobbies to go after his first shutout in nearly 10 years.

Moehler didn't manage that, but pitched his first complete game
in nearly nine years to help Houston end a seven-game losing
streak by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Friday night.

Edwin Maysonet, a rookie making only his third career start,
homered while going 4 for 4 and driving in four runs to support
Moehler.

"We all wanted him to finish it. He came in after the eighth and
said, `I'm going back' before I could even say anything to him,"
Cooper said. "He's pretty excited about it, and we're glad he
got the complete game."

Moehler, who had a 27.00 ERA in his two most recent starts in
PNC Park, was two outs away from his first shutout since Aug.
30, 1999, until the Pirates scored on Jason Jaramillo's
run-scoring grounder. Moehler's last previous complete game,
while with the Tigers, was a 4-1 victory against the Orioles on
Aug. 8, 2000.

Nobody needed to remind him Moehler it had been so long since he
finished what he started.

"Yeah, it's been a long time - I've been in the ninth a few
times since then and couldn't close it out," Moehler said after
his 11th complete game in 290 career appearances. "It was good
to know I threw 123 pitches, that I was capable of doing that."

Cooper came to the mound in the ninth and nearly went to the
bullpen, but Moehler talked him out of it.

"We were up 6-0, so there's no point in coming out right there,"
Moehler said. "Just stay in the game and see what happens."

Maysonet doubled for his first career extra-base hit and scored
the game's first run in the second inning. Two innings later,
the Astros' No. 8 batter hit Ross Ohlendorf's fastball into the
left-field seats to make it 3-0.

"My first home run, I'm kind of excited about that," Maysonet
said. "It felt good coming off the bat, but I didn't think it
had a shot. I was just trying to put the ball in play and it
carried a little bit."

Maysonet, 3 for 17 in the majors coming into the game, added a
two-run double in a sixth inning in which four of the first five
Houston batters reached, only to have two thrown out running the
bases. He also singled in the eighth.

The Astros' base running was bad the entire game - they had four
runners thrown out - but Maysonet and Moehler were nearly enough
to beat the Pirates by themselves.

Maysonet was recalled a week ago and his only two previous hits
in 10 at-bats came Tuesday against the Reds, when he went 2 for
4 in his first major league start.

"The home run really got to me," said Ohlendorf (5-5), who said
the Pirates didn't have much of a scouting report on Maysonet.
"He hit it real well. He got what he wanted."

Moehler (2-3), a 7-0 loser to the Pirates on April 13, had
lasted longer than five innings only once in six starts, but
didn't allow a runner to reach third until Freddy Sanchez
doubled with two out in the eighth. He hasn't shut out the
Pirates in nearly 11 years, or since a 3-0 decision on June 30,
1998.

"We had some pitches to hit, but we fouled them off or popped
them up," Pirates manager John Russell said. "We've been in that
situation a number of times, and we need to do something about
it."

Moehler gave up seven hits, struck out four and walked two in
following up a 6-3 loss to Texas on Saturday in which he allowed
three home runs.

The Astros averaged only three runs during their losing streak
before getting 15 hits off four Pirates pitchers.

Notes: Pirates closer Matt Capps was available to pitch for
the first time since being struck on the right elbow by a line
drive Monday night against the Cubs. ... Houston lost eight in a
row last season, from June 11-19. ... Houston SS Miguel Tejada
singled in the third, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
... Pirates CF Nate McLouth went 0 for 4 and now has one hit in
25 at-bats.

NLAT PITTSBURGH - SCORING UPDATETWO-RUN HOME RUN BY EDWIN MAYSONET (1) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN THE 4TH OFF ROSS OHLENDORF SCORED IVAN RODRIGUEZ.CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 3, PITTSBURGH 0DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: B MOEHLER (.000, 0-FOR-1)